The building industry has included elements that can be combined to form an overall structure. These elements include pre-formed elements, pre-cut elements, pre-assembled elements and the like. While quite handy, many of these elements are not versatile enough to accommodate a wide range of building configurations, applications, or a wide range of environmental conditions. Still further, many of these pre-prepared elements may not be easily installed by unskilled labor. Some of the pre-prepared elements even require special tools. In some instances, modifying a pre-prepared element to fit a particular application may require as much skill and time as simply fabricating the element on site.
Still further, it is often desirable to combine a pre-prepared element with standard lumber, such as 2.times.4, 2.times.6 or 2 .times.8 standard boards. Many pre-assembled units must be modified if one or more standard lumber sizes are used. This is especially true of many such pre-prepared elements when insulation or finish panels are to be attached to the element.
Still further, many presently available pre-assembled elements cannot be combined beyond certain building sizes. For example, it may not be possible to extend a building beyond a certain height with some pre-assembled building elements. Many pre-assembled elements cannot be modified to increase the insulation factors associated therewith or to increase the fire retardant and fire resistant characteristics associated therewith. This reduces the desirability of many such elements.
Still further, many of the presently-available pre-assembled elements are not easily transported from one site to another, and are not conveniently stored on the building site.
Therefore, there is a need for a pre-assembled building element that is versatile, can accommodate various building and environmental factors and can be easily transported and stored, and can still be easily modified and combined with other building elements on the job site without the need of special tools or special skills.